Research Methods for Criminal Justice and Criminology, International Edition 6th Edition by Michael G – Test Bank

TEST BANK

TRUE/FALSE

1. Experimentation is an approach to research best suited for exploration.

ANS: F

REF: 184

LO: 1

2. The defining feature of an experiment lies in the control of the independent variable by the experimenter.

ANS: T

REF: 185

LO: 2

3. The independent variable in a classical experiment must be a ratio level variable.

ANS: F

REF: 185

LO: 2

4. In the classical experiment subjects are measured on the independent variable before the experiment begins and again after the dependent variable has been manipulated by the researcher.

ANS: F

REF: 185

LO: 2

5. The main reason that experiments in criminal justice are so easy to complete is that the researcher need only secure one experimental and one control group for any project.

ANS: F

REF: 190

LO: 3

6. The threat of is a concern any time the researcher begins with subjects who exhibit extreme values on the dependent variable.

ANS: T

REF: 192

LO: 5

7. Construct validity is concerned with the ability to generalize from the results of the experimental group to the control group.

ANS: F

REF: 196

LO: 6

8. There may be legal reasons why randomization cannot be used in criminal justice research to assign subjects to either a control group or an experimental group.

ANS: T

REF: 199

LO: 8

9. In case-oriented research a large number of cases are examined in order to understand a small number of variables.

ANS: T

REF: 210

LO: 9

10. While the interrupted time series can be used in cause-and-effect studies, it is really useless in applied studies.

ANS: F

REF: 209

LO: 9

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. How many attributes does a dichotomous variable have?
2. 0
3. 1
4. 2
5. 4

ANS: C

REF: 185

LO: 2

2. Which of the following is least accurate?
3. experimentation is appropriate for hypothesis testing
4. experiments are well suited to research involving well-defined concepts
5. experiments cannot be used in the study of criminal justice policy because they require a hypothesis to test
6. experiments are appropriate for evaluation research

ANS: C

REF: 185

LO: 1

3. Which of the following is not a central feature of the classical experiment?
4. variables
5. time order
6. concepts
7. groups

ANS: C

REF: 185

LO: 1

4. Which of the following is true concerning independent and dependent variables in classical experiments?
5. a variable can be an independent in one experiment and a dependent in another
6. once a variable is designated as an independent variable in one experiment, it can never be used as a dependent variable in another
7. a classical experiment examines the effect of a dependent variable on an independent variable
8. an independent variable in a classical experiment is viewed as the effect because it is dependent upon another variable

ANS: A

REF: 185

LO: 2

Researchers conduct experiments copiously in an attempt to develop a more generalized understanding about:

1. criminal behavior
2. the sciences
3. the world we live in
4. human behavior

ANS: C

REF: 184

LO: 1

6. Social science researchers use a control group that hasn’t received the experimental stimulus in order to do what?
7. to measure the effect of the independent variable upon the control group
8. as another measure of the effect the independent variable has upon the dependent variable in the experimental group
9. as another measure of the effect the independent variable has upon the dependent variable in the control group
10. to measure the effect of the dependent variable upon the independent variable in the control group

ANS: B

REF: 187

LO: 2

7. Which of the following statements is accurate?
8. to guard against the “Hawthorne effect” in medical research scientists will give a placebo to the experimental group
9. to guard against the “Hawthorne effect” in medical research scientists will give the experimental group the independent variable
10. to guard against the “Hawthorne effect” in medical research scientists will give a placebo to the control group
11. there is no way to guard against the “Hawthorne effect” in medical research

ANS: C

REF: 188

LO: 3

8. The first decision for selecting subjects for an experiment is:
9. deciding how particular members of the target population will be selected
10. deciding on the target population
11. threats to internal validity
12. threats to external validity

ANS: B

REF: 189

LO: 3

9. Which example below is not a random assignment to experimental groups?
10. assign numbers to subjects, put corresponding numbers in a hat and pull out numbers, place the first subject in the experimental group and the second subject in the control group and continue until all numbers are used
11. ask subjects whether they prefer to be in the experimental group or the control group then assign subjects based on their preference
12. flip a coin assigning subjects getting a head to the control group and those getting a tail to the experimental group
13. use a random number generator after assigning numbers to your subjects

ANS: B

REF: 190

LO: 4

10. Which of the following phrases is most true concerning random assignment to groups?
11. “all other things being equal”
12. “use your best guess”
13. “it is close enough for government work”
14. “you are never 100% sure, so don’t worry about it”

ANS: A

REF: 190

LO: 4

11. Which of the following is not considered a threat to internal validity in an experimental design?
12. maturation
13. instrumentation
14. randomization
15. statistical regression

ANS: C

REF: 191

LO: 5

12. Which of the following is not an accurate example of threats to internal validity of experiments?
13. subjects dropping out of an experiment is a form of mortality
14. creaming is a form of selection bias
15. control group members work harder as a form of compensatory rivalry
16. ability to measure subjects consistently over time

ANS: D

REF: 191

LO: 5

13. Shortening the time between pretest and posttest or perhaps even offering cash payments to participants in an experiment are techniques that may be used to:
14. limit diffusion
15. decrease experimental mortality
16. decrease the effects of instrumentation
17. control threats to testing

ANS: B

REF: 193

LO: 5

14. Two dimensions to generalizability are:
15. construct validity and external validity
16. compensatory rivalry and external validity
17. construct validity and compensatory rivalry
18. none of the above

ANS: A

REF: 196

LO: 6

15. Experimentation is best suited for hypothesis testing in:
16. explanatory studies
17. evaluation studies
18. physical studies
19. both explanatory and evaluation studies

ANS: D

REF: 185

LO: 1

16. Which of the following is accurate?
17. threats to internal validity are increased by carefully controlling conditions
18. threats to external validity are decreased by carefully controlling conditions
19. threats to generalizability of research findings in experiments are unrelated to internal validity
20. threats to external validity are increased by carefully controlling conditions

ANS: B

REF: 198

LO: 6

17. When using a nonequivalent-groups design the researcher will handle subject assignment to groups by:
18. random assignment to experimental and control groups
19. allowing subjects to pick which group they want to be in
20. matching subjects in the experimental group to those in the comparison group.
21. assignment by convenience

ANS: C

REF: 201

LO: 8

18. In Widom’s study of the effects of child abuse and its impact upon later criminal offenses, she selected a sample of children with court records of being abuse victims and gathered a comparison group that was matched on gender, race, age and socioeconomic status. The technique used in this case was:
19. individual matching
20. aggregate matching
21. randomization
22. all of the above

ANS: A

REF: 201

LO: 8

19. A group of students who completed a research methods class at the local college were given a questionnaire to assess their feelings about the homeless and after were randomly assigned to either the experimental group or the control group. The experimental group was required to volunteer at the local homeless shelter while the control group was not. After one month of volunteering, members of both groups were asked to complete the questionnaire on feelings concerning the homeless again. What type of research design is this?
20. a quasi-experimental design
21. a classical experimental design
22. a time-series design
23. an interrupted time-series design

ANS: B

REF: 185

LO: 1

20. Graduates majoring in criminal justice and graduates majoring in psychology from the State University were part of a study to assess employment success of those receiving their degrees in May 2002. Six months after graduation a questionnaire was sent out asking about their job seeking success. What type of design is this?
21. a double-blind experiment
22. a non-equivalent groups design
23. a time-series design
24. a cohort design

ANS: D

REF: 204

LO: 8

21. Essentially, an experiment examines the effect of:
22. the world we live in
23. modern science
24. an independent variable on a dependent variable
25. science on sociology

ANS: C

REF: 185

LO: 1, 2

22. The threat of history refers to:
23. some subjects with have had history classes and others not
24. the realization that some subjects have learned from history while others have not
25. events external to the experiment that will impact the results
26. the fact that only current, relevant subjects need be studied

ANS: C

REF: 191

LO: 5

23. Maturation as a threat to internal validity in experiments refers to:
24. some subjects are older than others
25. as people grow and change, results can be impacted
26. only subjects over the age of 21 are mature enough to be part of an experiment
27. none of the above

ANS: B

REF: 191

LO: 5

24. In an experiment subjects are given a pre-test in an effort to assess their attitudes about a new federal sentencing law that Congress is debating. Subjects assigned to the experimental group are given a series of lectures by experts on the impact the new law will have on prison populations. Immediately after the last lecture, a post-test is given to measure any attitude changes. Anticipating what the test is designed to measure (because of the lectures) those in the experimental group are subject to the threat of:
25. diffusion
26. statistical regression
27. instrumentation
28. testing

ANS: D

REF: 186

LO: 5

25. Which of the following would be an example of selection bias?
26. volunteers
27. random assignment to experimental and control groups
28. matching on experimental and comparison groups
29. making sure that the quotas are the same for the experimental and comparison groups with respect to important variables

ANS: A

REF: 193

LO: 5

26. Which of the following would be an example of experimental mortality?
27. a subject deciding that he/she wants to participate
28. inmates in an experiment at the state maximum security prison being moved to a minimum state prison
29. police officers within one year of retirement participating in a job satisfaction study
30. police officers change their behavior during a study because of a new law that was passed

ANS: B

REF: 193

LO: 5

27. Sometimes it is not possible to separate subjects from experimental and control groups and the result is that they may discuss the research. What is the threat that this situation poses?
28. causal time order
29. experimental mortality
30. diffusion or imitation of treatments
31. statistical regression

ANS: C

REF: 194

LO: 5

28. The threat to the internal validity of an experiment that is called compensatory treatment refers to which of the following situations?
29. the control group subjects being paid while the experimental group subjects are not
30. the experimental group subjects being paid while the control group subjects are not
31. the subjects in the control group feel deprived of something they consider valuable
32. there is no threat to internal validity called compensatory treatment

ANS: C

REF: 194

LO: 5

29. You have just completed the LSAT and scored 112. Your roommate who is no smarter than you took the LSAT with you and scored 165. You were so upset with your score that you decided to take the test again and you convinced your roommate to take it with you for moral support. You both received scores on the second exam of 150. What accounted for the differences in scores?
30. statistical regression
31. testing
32. instrumentation
33. maturation

ANS: A

REF: 192-193

LO: 5

30. The goal of the classical experiment is for the researcher to:
31. have control over the dependent variable
32. have control over the independent variable
33. measure the effect the dependent variable has upon the independent variable
34. make sure the subjects in the control group get the independent variable and those in the experimental group do not

ANS: B

REF: 185

LO: 2

31. When neither the subjects nor the researcher can identify which group is the control group and which is the experimental group the design is said to be:
32. cross-sectional
33. double-blind
34. a blind experiment
35. of no value

ANS: B

REF: 189

LO: 2

32. In criminal justice experiments, what serves as a guard against the effects of the experiments themselves as well as events that may occur outside the laboratory during the course of experiments?
33. variable groups
34. control groups
35. administrative groups
36. posttest groups

ANS: B

REF: 187

LO: 3

33. External validity in an experimental design refers to:
34. the researcher’s ability to be sure that they are measuring what they think they are measuring
35. the lack of concern with issues internal to the study
36. the ability to apply findings to other populations
37. the ability to know your measures are consistent

ANS: C

REF: 191

LO: 6

34. Dr. Smith was interested in whether there would be a reduction in the number of crimes in the central city once closed-circuit cameras went up and were monitored by police. To accomplish this study Dr. Smith looked at the police records for the four square block area where the cameras were installed each week for six months. Dr. Smith was using what method?
35. cohort design
36. time-series design
37. classical experiment
38. quasi-experimental design

ANS: B

REF: 205

LO: 6

35. To assess the impact of child abuse upon later criminality, Dr. Rose chose to select some adults whose names appeared as child abuse victims in local police records and another group of adults who were not victims of abuse. What technique is being employed?
36. cohort design
37. classical experiment
38. double-blind experiment
39. nonequivalent-group design

ANS: D

REF: 201

LO: 10

36. In social scientific experiments, as in medical experiments, the danger of experimenter bias is further reduced to the extent that the operational definitions of the dependent variables are:
37. clear and precise
38. controlled
39. tested and retested
40. scientifically proven

ANS: A

REF: 189

LO: 2

37. What type of design is illustrated in the following diagram?

Experimental Group 0 X 0

Control Group 0 0

Measurement time1 time2 time3

1. time-series design
2. classical experiment
3. cohort design
4. nonequivalent-groups design

ANS: B

REF: 185

LO: 2

38. What can help rule out the threats to internal validity in an experimental design?
39. proper selection and assignment of subjects to groups
40. large sample size
41. small sample size
42. nothing can rule out threats to internal validity

ANS: A

REF: 191

LO: 5

39. What technique can be used to help reduce the threat to experimental mortality?
40. increasing the sample size
41. decreasing the sample size
42. shorten the time between the pretest and the posttest
43. select only subjects who are female

ANS: C

REF: 193

LO: 5

40. What process is accomplished by assigning the odd numbered subjects to the experimental group and the even-numbered subjects to the control group?
41. basic scientific theory
42. independent relation
43. false positive evaluation
44. random assignment

ANS: D

REF: 190

LO: 4, 5

41. If randomization is not possible, what should the researcher do?
42. pre and posttest
43. use the classical design
44. consider using a quasi-experimental design
45. randomization is always possible

ANS: C

REF: 200

LO: 8

42. The central features of what experiment type include (1) independent and dependent variables, (2) pretesting and posttesting, and (3) experimental and control groups created through random assignment?
43. casual experiments
44. statistical experiments
45. classical experiments
46. cardinal experiments

ANS: C

REF: 185

LO: 5

43. How does a cohort design differ from other quasi-experimental designs?
44. the use of random assignment to control and experimental groups
45. the use of matching to assign subjects to control and experimental groups
46. there is some date or event in common to all members of the control and the experimental groups
47. all quasi-experimental designs are basically the same

ANS: C

REF: 204

LO: 8

44. An interrupted time-series design can be very useful in what type of research?
45. applied research
46. exploratory research
47. descriptive research
48. double-blind research

ANS: A

REF: 209

LO: 9

45. Which is accurate concerning the interrupted time-series design?
46. some event stops or interrupts the research
47. control group subjects are often envious of the attention the experimental group subjects get and interrupt the study
48. makes a long series of observations before and after introducing the experimental treatment
49. none of the above are accurate

ANS: C

REF: 209

LO: 9

46. A questionnaire is sent to 1,000 police departments in Florida and gathers information on the number of sick days officers use after being involved in a shooting incident. This is an example of what type of research?
47. variable-oriented research
48. case-oriented research
49. experimental design
50. cohort design

ANS: B

REF: 210

LO: 9

47. The statement, ‘there are no simple formulas for designing an experimental or quasi-experimental study’ suggests:
48. that there is an infinite variety of ways to design a study
49. that there is a finite variety of ways to design a study
50. that the one constant is the use of randomization in experiments
51. experiments and quasi-experiments should be used only as a last resort

ANS: A

REF: 214

LO: 10

48. To guard against most threats to internal validity in the classical experiment the researcher should:
49. focus upon external validity
50. focus upon generalizability
51. use random assignment
52. put subjects only in experimental groups

ANS: C

REF: 191

LO: 5

49. Which of the following statements is true?
50. non-equivalent-groups and time-series designs are two general types of quasi-experiments
51. experiments and time-series designs are two general types of quasi-experiments
52. all research purposes are amenable to the use of experimental designs
53. all of the above are true

ANS: A

REF: 200

LO: 9

50. The classical experiment makes it possible to satisfy this criterion for cause in two ways. First, the posttest measures for the experimental group (stimulus present) are compared with those for the:
51. control group (stimulus not present)
52. random group (stimulus not present)
53. variable group (stimulus not present)
54. none of the above

ANS: A

REF: 186

LO: 5

51. Which of the following is not illustrative of the case study method?
52. it is an in-depth analysis of one or a few cases
53. the cases can be individuals, groups, organizations or aggregates
54. the study can be both qualitative and quantitative
55. observing a group who has similar cases in the court systems

ANS: D

REF: 210

LO: 9

52. In general, testing refers to changes in how subjects respond to measurement, whereas instrumentation is concerned with:
53. the world we live in
54. changes in the measurement process itself
55. the scientific hypothesis
56. the motive for the experiment itself

ANS: B

REF: 192

LO: 6, 7

53. When it is not possible to create groups through randomization, what options do you have for the research design?
54. a classical experiment
55. non-equivalent groups
56. surveys
57. pre and post tests

ANS: B

REF: 201

LO: 8

54. In the case where the experimental groups and the control groups are not equivalent, which of the following should not be used to address this issue?
    1. proceed with the experiment because you can address the issues during your statistical analysis
    2. match the groups on important variables
    3. use comparison groups instead of control groups
    4. match groups on any variables that are significant for the fluctuation in the dependent variable

ANS: A

REF: 201

LO: 8

55. With regard to experimentation and subject selection, what does random assignment serve to eliminate?

1. systematic bias
2. false positive results
3. experimental morality
4. ambiguity

ANS: A

REF: 193

LO: 4, 7

56. All but which of the following are examples of double-blind studies?
    1. medical experiments where a new drug is tested and one group gets the new drug and the other gets a placebo and the researcher does not know who got which drug
    2. domestic violence studies where intervention is designed to reduce repeat offenses by focusing upon victim strategies when the victim does not know whether they are in the control or experimental group
    3. any study where the researchers and the subjects do not know whether they are in the experimental or control groups
57. any study where the researchers know who is in the experimental and control groups but promise not to tell the subjects

ANS: D

REF: 189

LO: 2

57. One threat to internal validity in criminal justice research that is not very significant is
    1. history, because few things happen on a grand scale that would impact criminal justice research
    2. maturation, because criminal justice subjects are not in research studies long enough to mature
    3. statistical regression, because subjects in the criminal justice system are likely to score lower than the mean anyway
    4. the concern about the publication of the findings

ANS: D

REF: 191-195

LO: 5

58. How can a researcher be sure that threats to internal validity are being ruled out in the design?

1. sorting out what threats are applicable in which settings
2. comparing the results of several post-tests
3. random selection will rule out, or greatly reduce the chances for statistical regression
4. all the above

ANS: D

REF: 195

LO: 5

59. Which of the following would not be likely to impact a study’s external validity?
    1. do research in the natural setting
    2. experiments where there is too much control of conditions
    3. using an unrepresentative sample
60. applied studies reduce external validity

ANS: A

REF: 198

LO: 6

60. In Martin Gill’s research on the effectiveness of CCTV projects in the UK, which of the following techniques did he use?
    1. the research measured fear of crime by citizens before and after the cameras went up
    2. the research measured police data before the cameras went up
    3. comparison was made only in the area where cameras were in use
    4. measured if the offenders changed the type of crimes they were committing

ANS: A

REF: 203

LO: 10

COMPLETION

1. In a classical experiment the independent variable is the cause and the dependent variable is the _____________.

ANS: effect

REF: 185

LO: 2

2. In a classical experiment the researcher uses a ____________________ to offset the effects of the experiment itself.

ANS: control group

REF: 187

LO: 2

3. The mere fact that subjects know they are being studied can cause them to change their behavior. This phenomenon is known as the __________________________.

ANS: Hawthorne effect

REF: 188

LO: 2

4. A(n) _________________________ experiment guards against experimenters’ tendency to prejudge results by eliminating the possibility of either the researcher or the subjects knowing which group is the control and which group is the experimental.

ANS: double-blind

REF: 189

LO: 4

5. The main reason why ____________ is used to select subjects for control and experimental groups in a classical experiment is that the groups will be statistically equivalent.

ANS: randomization

REF: 193

LO: 4

6. _______________________ validity becomes an issue when findings are based on small samples of cases.

ANS: Statistical conclusion

REF: 198

LO: 7

7. With respect to internal validity issues, testing refers to changes in how subjects respond to measurement while _____________ refers to changes in the measurement process itself.

ANS: instrumentation

REF: 192

LO: 5

8. When referring to whether results from experiments conducted in one setting would be obtained in other settings, our main concern is one of _______________________ validity.

ANS: external

REF: 191

LO: 6

9. When random assignment to experimental and control groups is not possible the researcher may be forced to use a(n) _______________________ design.

ANS: nonequivalent-group

REF: 201

LO: 8

10. Instead of making one pre-test and one post-test measure the _______________ makes a longer series of observations before and after introducing an experimental treatment.

ANS: interrupted time-series design

REF: 209

LO: 9

11. When there is a study of a large number of variables that are associated with a small number of cases or subjects, the researcher is engaged in __________________________ research.

ANS: variable-oriented

REF: 210

LO: 9

12. An example of variable-oriented research is the _________________ design.

ANS: case study

REF: 210

LO: 9

13. Accidental spillover of an experimental stimulus to the control group is an example of treatment ___________________________.

ANS: diffusion

REF: 194

LO: 5

14. Creaming, or skimming the best, risks off the top to be incorporated in an experiment, is a threat to _____________________ .

ANS: validity

REF: 193

LO:

15. _____________________ refers to the ability to take findings from an experiment and apply them to the real world.

ANS: Generalizability

REF: 196

LO: 6

ESSAY QUESTIONS

1. Explain why experimentation is not well suited for the purposes of description and exploration.

2. Explain the classical experiment in terms of the following:

Independent and dependent variables

Pre-testing and Post-testing

Experimental and Control groups

3. Explain the role of randomization in classical experiments.

4. Identify and discuss at least five threats to internal validity in experimental designs. Include in your answer ways of controlling for each of the threats you identify.

5. Give two specific examples of research where a quasi-experimental design would be more appropriate than a classical experiment. Why would each of your examples not fit the classical experiment model?